Neato Robotics, the makers of the popular XV-11 floor cleaning robot, recently announced the XV-21, a product that follows up in the fine tradition of the XV series. In between the two there is the XV-12, though that model was essentially unchanged from the XV-11 — it was just available at different retailers and had a better paint job.

So what’s new and improved with the $430 XV-12? Foremost, Neato has touted its ability to pick up pet hair, something many vacuum buyers put at the top of their “must have” list (did you know that about 40% of American households own a dog?). Another back-of-the-box feature is better cleaning and retention of allergens. In fact Neato went so far as call this robot their “Pet and Allergy” vacuum. Please note: it doesn’t actually vacuum your pet.

And how was the XV-21 actually upgraded from the XV-11? There were two big changes on the cleaning front: upgraded filters and the use of a bristle beater (the spinning thing on the underside) as opposed to a rubber, squeegee-like beater the XV-11 used. The brush is designed to be better able to pick up hair, but you can bet it won’t stay as clean as the previous design — the bristles tend to hold on to a fair bit of debris. The new filter is said to be cleanable and to have less air resistance, which means higher suction power. Nothing else seems to have changed regarding the sensors, design, or mechanisms.

The body of the XV-21 looks just like that of the XV-11 though the new model is “Misty White with purple highlights”. Basically, it looks like A XV-12 mated with a Super Nintendo while you were out at work. But maybe you were looking to add some purple to your living room?

The announcement comes with good news for existing Neato XV owners: you’ll be able to upgrade your units to use the both the new bristle brush and the updated filter ($60 for both or $30 for the filter). You’ll just need to upgrade your Neato to the latest firmware (v2.6) in order to do so. It’s not a cheap switch, but it looks like a reasonable investment if your bot has been hard at work and could use some refurbishing.